Believe it or not, USC was in a precarious position in the 2008 Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

And it took no small amount of luck for the No. 6 Trojans to extricate themselves. But it was their day and they won the Rose Bowl for the 23rd time with a 49-17 victory over No. 13 Illinois before 93,923.

USC (11-2) began the season as the overwhelming pick as the nation’s top team and while the Trojans failed to reach the BCS Championship game, they gained a significant amount of self satisfaction by winning for the fifth time in their six consecutive BCS bowl appearances.

Quarterback John David Booty passed for 255 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a record seven scoring passes in his two Rose Bowl outings. He threw four TD passes in USC’s win over Michigan in 2007.

Illinois (9-4), making its first Pasadena appearance since 1984 and fifth overall, wanted to prove it belonged among the 10 BCS bowl teams. The Illini were picked for the game when Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State reached the title game.

Illinois stung USC to erase a first half of ineffectiveness, but the Trojans struck right back with big plays and plenty of fortune to take a 35-10 lead after three quarters.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall, who had gained only 27 yards in the opening two periods, streaked 79 yards the first time he touched the ball in the second half for a touchdown that pulled Illinois within 11 points midway through the third quarter before luck clearly sided with USC.

Mendenhall wasn’t done. He followed with a 55-yard catch and run, but the Illini missed a golden opportunity when receiver Jacob Willis had the ball knocked out of his arms by USC linebacker Kaluka Maiava at the USC 10-yard line.

The ball rolled into the end zone and was recovered by USC linebacker Brian Cushing.

USC freshman tailback Joe McKnight, who rushed 10 times for 125 yards and scored on a 6-yard run, then saw a lateral go through his hands, but he picked up the live ball and raced 65 yards, helping set up Booty’s 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Fred Davis.

An interception by USC cornerback Cary Harris then set up McKnight’s score. Sixth-year tailback Hershel Dennis scored from 3 yards out to close out his career.

The teams combined for 1,075 yards with USC gaining 630. The Trojans equaled the record for points in a Rose Bowl, matching the output of Michigan against Stanford in 1903 and the Wolverines again against USC in 1948.

The opening 6 minutes, 30 seconds of the game had USC flipping out.

The Trojans took a 21-3 halftime lead over Illinois thanks to two touchdown passes, one a conventional toss and the second a gimmick play, and a rugged defense.

USC used two big breaks, each time vexing Illinois free safety Justin Harrison, to take a 7-0 lead.

On second down from the Illinois 49-yard line, Booty passed to fullback Stanley Havili, who fumbled as he hit the ground. Harrison scooped up the ball and raced into the end zone, only to find that Havili had been ruled down at the 43-yard line. Video replays appeared to confirm the call on the field.

The Trojans racked up another gift when Booty tried to pass over the middle to receiver Vidal Hazelton. As the pass arrived, so did Harrison, whose jarring hit sent the ball skyward and right onto the hands of tailback McKnight. After plucking the ball out of the air, McKnight was credited with a 14-yard reception.

Three plays later, Booty connected with tailback Chauncey Washington for an 8-yard scoring pass with 10:57 left in the first quarter.

Linebacker Rey Maualuga’s 19-yard interception return gave USC possession at the Illinois 34. Booty sent a lateral wide to his left to receiver Garrett Green, who then passed all the way across the field to wide open tailback Desmond Reed, who completed the touchdown connection with a flip into the end zone. Reed drew an unsportsmanlike conduct call but the Trojans had a 14-0 lead.

Harrison came up big, though, late in the first quarter. After Hazelton slipped on a pass over the middle, Harrison stepped in, picked it off and returned it 45 yards to the USC 20.

The Illini were denied, however, when Jason Reda’s 29-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left and USC held onto its 14-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Illini’s spread-option attack was stymied on the next three drives that netted a minus-4 yards. The second drive was snuffed out on consecutive sacks by Maualuga. Illinois quarterback Juice Williams was sacked four times in the first half.

Williams completed 9 of 16 passes for 55 yards in the first two quarters, but the Illini run game went nowhere. They gained only 24 yards on 24 carries, with Mendenhall gaining 27 yards on 13 tries. He entered the game with 1,526 yards on the season.

For the game, Mendenhall rushed 17 times for 155 yards. Williams completed 21 of 35 passes for 245 yards.

Booty completed 11 of 16 passes for 87 yards but USC gained 73 yards on the ground in its 16 carries in the opening half.

USC’s constant excellent field position finally paid off in the second quarter. After an 8-yard punt return by McKnight, the Trojans got their first two first downs of the second quarter on a 13-yard reception by David Ausberry and a 16-yard reverse-field run by Washington, who capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run and it was 21-0.

Ausberry later caught a 15-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter.

Illinois finally attacked with its passing game downfield — bringing cheers from frustrated Illini fans — and took advantage of two 15-yard penalties on USC to complete a 2-minute drill with a 28-yard field goal by Reda with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.

No. 6 USC is in its 32 nd Rose Bowl today and No. 13 Illinois is playing in its fifth and is in Pasadena for the first time since the 1984 game. In fact, no players on the Illini (9-3) have even played in a bowl game, so it’s easy to understand their search for validation on the national stage.

The Trojans (10-2) believe they’re also seeking national approval with a fast finish to a season marred by a loss to 41-point underdog Stanford.

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